Gut feeling on Pruitt?

8-5 next year with a big win over the Florida Gators and a bowl win. The win over Florida will be the start of a long streak of wins against the Gators.

11-3 in 2019 with an SEC East Division Title, a close heartbreaking loss in the SEC Title Game that also costs us a playoff spot and a tough loss in a major bowl game

14-1 in 2020 with a Natty Championship, SEC Title, and Saban retirement after we embarrass the Crimson Tide for the second time that season in the SEC Championship game! We're back!!

That's my 3 year forecast!!!

What do you use as a basis for your 3 year forecast?
 
Guys just remember this. There isn't a single player on the roster who has received a smidgen of advanced coaching due to Butch Jones' ineptness so the man most definitely has his job cut out for him. I expect a fairly slow start next year as the players have so much to learn and little time to learn it. I also expect improvement throughout the year as the players get more and much better coaching than what they were used to along with more intensity and fire. It's gonna be an all new team because we finally have a COACH.
 
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Some of the returners may have been very comfortable in the old system. I guess we will see who sticks around after Spring, but I will be surprised if it's all of them.
 
I am neither. I hope he does well, but I have seen how fickle the administration is and how feuding donors have kept everything in turmoil. A clown show has become the norm. And since I have no faith in Fulmer, I can't see much time passing before either a series of unfortunate events or a highly public scandal blows it all to Hell again.
 
Obviously there’s no way in knowing the future, Pruitt could do well, do amazing, be mediocre, or be a bad HC when it’s all said and done. But what’s your gut feeling?

(The SEC, not a saying a natty)

Well, knowing what we know now, who would you rather have leading the Vols next season and on the recruiting trail 24/7?

Butch Jones
Greg Shi!ano
Jeremy Pruitt
Dave Doeren
Mike Leach
Mike Gundy
 
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Well, knowing what we know now, who would you rather have leading the Vols next season and on the recruiting trail 24/7?

Butch Jones
Greg Shi!ano
Jeremy Pruitt
Dave Doeren
Mike Leach
Mike Gundy

In this order:

Mike Leach
Mike Gundy
Jeremy Pruitt
Dave Doeren
Butch Jones
Never Greg Shi!ano, just interm Hoke.
 
Gut feeling is he's a giant unknown really. They say he''s this and that, but what we do know is he's studied under some pretty good coaches. Doesn't mean a thing. I think Tennessee really needed a name that could have stirred a buzz, didn't happen because of the clown show in the UTAD. It's what has kept it down for a very long time and they're the reason once again Tennessee couldn't make a name hire. I don't know if those people will ever stop tripping over their own egos to hurt the program. There seems to be no end to it.
 
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The clown show as you call it hired a football coach with the training and skills, that wants to be here and win. he has been very successful in all his coaching jobs and has proven to be ready for the next level. Rather than a flashy name. That's why the people that have been successful in the game of football get to make the choice rather than some fans who don't have much of a clue.
 
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Obviously there’s no way in knowing the future, Pruitt could do well, do amazing, be mediocre, or be a bad HC when it’s all said and done. But what’s your gut feeling?

Do you think we will finally win another SEC championship under him? I’m going to go with yes. Im cautious. But for some reason I just have this gut feeling I didn’t have with Butch or Dooley that we’re finally going to be elite again. Year 3 we win the East, year 4 we win the whole thing. (The SEC, not a saying a natty)

I think Fulmer got what he wanted: a no-nonsense SEC guy. I think it would have been much more exciting in the beginning to have had Leach, but the trajectory of the team would have been much different. I feel certain we would have won a lot of games with Leach, but could be have won SEC and National titles?

With Pruitt, I like that he seems to be wanting to build an excellent foundation, with excellent support staff. I believe to have consistent success, you need to follow something similar to the Saban model; and I believe Pruitt is attempting to do just that.

Will it work out with similar results? There is no way to know, but I like every move I have seen thus far. I have no complaints.

So, yes, I get the feeling that Tennessee is going to be very successful. Year one may be a major challenge, but by year 2 or 3, we should have our answer. No year 5 stuff for me. Two or three years will be enough to have my answer.
 
Some of the returners may have been very comfortable in the old system. I guess we will see who sticks around after Spring, but I will be surprised if it's all of them.

Pruitt has been around the block once or twice. A new coach and staff will do their evaluations and make sure kids they don't see as being able to help the program will get that message. They'll exit and transfer or leave football altogether. We had some kids on our OL from my perspective last season that just showed up and had no heart to play football any longer. That does not mean they are bad people but Pruitt will find those kids on the roster and they'll find something else to do. It happens in every program. Also, kids that were in the coach's dog house, will be given the opportunity to shine. CBJ had a thing it seems where favored kids not necessarily due to on field performance got a lot of playing time over kids that were performing better.
 
The clown show as you call it hired a football coach with the training and skills, that wants to be here and win. he has been very successful in all his coaching jobs and has proven to be ready for the next level. Rather than a flashy name. That's why the people that have been successful in the game of football get to make the choice rather than some fans who don't have much of a clue.
Exactly what the clowns want you to think. Hope all y'all are right.
 
The clown show as you call it hired a football coach with the training and skills, that wants to be here and win. he has been very successful in all his coaching jobs and has proven to be ready for the next level. Rather than a flashy name. That's why the people that have been successful in the game of football get to make the choice rather than some fans who don't have much of a clue.

Oh he seems like a fine DC. Tennessee is a damaged faded brand. Pruitt may end up being just what they need. My point is that's why they ended up with him. Most dysfunctional administration in college sports. They managed to down grade every sport they have. Hopefully Fulmer can get it turned around if they'll let him, and that's my whole point.
 
I Agree. A good coach has us good again in years 4-5. A great coach makes noise in year 2.

I just don't agree with 4-5 years until we are good again. A good coach should have us competing in three. Look at Richt, Kirby, and James Franklin all three had there news teams title hunting around year 3. That's what I expect and no I also disagree with this being a rebuild. Pruitt has inherited alot of poorly coached talent but alot of natural talent at that. We have playmakers, it's nothing like Dooley when he got canned. I expect a bowl next year and contending by year three.
 
Finally got the "approvals" taken care of, so first post for a long-time lurker on the threads.

My answer for the question is CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC....

I think we have more true coaching ability than we have had in a long time. If this coach and staff can actually take some recruits and make them better than they were when they arrived, then success and more recruits will follow. Winning is contagious for fans and players alike.
 
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Next year gonna hurt. Butch trashed the depth. Will be playing to personnel while trying to switch the system in the process. Rough schedule playing away at uga, bama, auburn. Freshman will play as Pruitt looks for future leaders.

That being said, the difference between year one and 2 should tell us a lot about the direction of the program. You can find examples of this in almost every coaching change. Year 3 will be make or break, need 10 wins and to be in the hunt for seccg appearance. You just don't get 5-6 years anymore. Butch was here for almost 5, but i think we all kinda knew he was done after he botched last year and couldn't decide on a starting qb until the week of ga tech game.
 
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Answering the question at the top of this thread:

Do you think we will finally win another SEC championship under him? Unfortunately my answer is no.

Do we get better and sustain that new level moving forward, yes.

My reasoning below. About half my opinion is based on Pruitt info from my Georgia friends. So take it FWIW.

- Pruitt IS an excellent DC. Was great at Georgia. Has Alabama playing better D than Smart did. He’ll get the most out of our players.

- Pruitt IS an excellent recruiter. So I’m puzzled why we don’t see the usual excitement and jump in recruiting that follows a new hire.

- Problem: This year is probably a bust in recruiting. Weakest in many years. We’ve lost 6 commits in the last 7 days. #46 with only 6 days until early signings. Coupled with the current depleted roster, this is a REAL SETBACK to any 3-4 year plan.

- (I’m told) While at Georgia, 247 wrote, Pruitt needs to take “HC 101” and learn when NOT to speak and what NOT to say, before he’ll get a HC position. I’m hoping Fulmer didn’t get fooled on his first hire as AD.

- Finally, he’s a rookie coach in the SEC. He can be successful, but odds are against him.

Still, I’m cautiously optimistic. We will get better, just don’t see us winning the SEC in year 3 or 4.
 
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I like his chances of becoming a good HC. That said this is a tough conference, and while the east was down I see it rebounding. Smart has Ga going, Mullen will return FL to form. USC, KY, Mo will not be walkovers. CJP will have to be better than CBJ just to do the 9 win thing.

Winning the east in the future may be the same as making the playoff.

I don’t see us making a fast start. We need a lot of beef on the lines and it takes time to grow them.
 
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My Gut is telling me he will be much better than Butch. I know i know that isnt saying much, but the jury is still out on how much better. I mean if we are judging saban as the high, butch as the low, I think its realistic to hold the bar half way, and to hold out hope he can get 3/4th there which is where my gut is telling me. I think in the next 5 we sniff the playoff or make it once, which means he will be nearly legend at UT for a while until he flames out.
 
On the 1-10 gut feeling scale, I'd rate the coaching hires in my experience as this:

Bill Battle: No idea, I was on a few months old when he started.
Majors: 10. I was 7 years old. Everything Vols was a 10.
Fulmer: 9. I was a student at UT at the time. I was caught up in the hype.
Kiffin: 9. Kiffin seemed like a great get at the time.
Dooley: 3. They ONLY thing he had going for him was that he was Vince Dooley's son. . . and his hair. He has nice hair.
Jones: 6. He sold me fairly well at the beginning. In hindsight, I should have known better.
Pruitt: 8. He's been around the right kind of football and the right kind of coaching for a long time. I hope my confidence is not misguided.
 
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I've been really worried about the retirement of Saban and what if CJP was just getting the engine going at UT at that time. I had heard Swinney had a ridiculous buyout and did some research:

Buyout terms of Swinney's new contract | TigerNet

CLEMSON - Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney's new contract was approved by the university's Board of Trustees Tuesday morning, and TigerNet received a copy of the buyout terms.
*University Buyout: At election of University, either (a) regular payment schedule over remaining term of contract, (b) payment within 90 days, in the amount based on the year of termination per schedule as follows. No mitigation required by Coach.
2016: $20,000,000
2017: $20,000,000
2018: $18,000,000
2019: $14,000,000
2020: $9,000,000
2021: $5,000,000
----------------
Employee Buyout: Notify Director of Athletics prior to discussion to other employment.
Should Employee terminate early to accept another head coaching position or a similar collegiate athletics position, amount owed to University would be in the lump sum payment within 90 days based on the year of termination per schedule as follows:
2016: $6,000,000
2017: $5,000,000
2018: $4,000,000
2019: $3,000,000
2020: $2,000,000
2021: $1,000,000
No amount owed if Coach leaves for NFL Head Coach Position
Note: Athletic Director retains the right to waive or reduce Employee Buyout.



So Swinney's buyout is not riduculous. Now my only fear is that Swinney will say he already has his thing going at Clemson and then Bammer comes calling to Knoxville.
 
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